XOXO
Online Exhibition
XOXO, draws upon the Public Art Centre’s diverse permanent collection to explore the theme of love in art, and the changing representations of this complex emotion.
While popular conceptions of love tend frequently to focus upon romantic love, XOXO explores love’s varied manifestations across the realms of human experience, including familial relationships, friendship, and nostalgia. The exhibition presents depictions of love’s many variations in painting, sculpture, prints and drawings.
Dorothy Stevens, Self Portrait, c. 1930, oil on cardboard, 59x49cm
John Beatty, Parlor Scene, Oil, 1910 17x11"
Rudolf Bikkers, Without Site, serigraph on paper, 1981, 30x23"
Ann Brooyman, Five Women, Graphite on paper, not dated, 62x72cm
Francis Caprani, Falling Back into Eternity, Acrylic on mylar, 2001, 80x123cm
Greg Curnoe, Shelia, lithography on paper, September 1978, 30x24"
Mary Digman, Roses, watercolour on paper, not dated, 9.5x14"
Dennis Geden, Boy with Dog, Watercolour on paper, 1983, 81x61.5cm
Jiri Hanzalek, Untitled "Allana", Cast bronze relief, 1969, 43x34x5cm
Stanley Lewis, Couple, Stone cut print on rice paper, 1971, 61.5x46cm
Sigrid Lochner, Nap Time, oil on panel, 1970, 10x12.5cm
Gerald Pedros, My Best Friend, mixed media, 1996, 42x50"
Ester Rausenberg, Token, Digital Print, 2008, 20x24"
Cesar Santander, Horse and Rider Toy, serigraph, not dated, 41x61cm
William St. Thomas Smith, Untitled "Roses", watercolour on paper, not dated, 30x48cm
Dorothy Stevens, Self Portrait, c. 1930, oil on cardboard, 59x49cm
John Beatty, Parlor Scene, Oil, 1910 17x11"
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Flames of Love from the Permanent Collection
Online Exhibition
Hugues de Jouvancourt (1918 - 1998) Flames of Love, 1973, Original serigraphs (silk-screen)
"The following images are complied from the book of selected poems with illustrations by Hugues de Jouvancourt. This volume pays tribute to the beauty and grace of young Canadian girls. We would like to thank the kind young ladies, who by posing for the artist, enabled him to carry out illustrations for this book."
It was taken from this fifty original editions five copies each containing twenty two serigraphs by Hugues de Jouvancourt, specially executed for this book. 10 copies on Japan Carlyle, letters from A T. containing the serigraphs in their challenging state in black, and a continuation of the serigraphs printed in sepia. 45 copies on Japan Carlye, numbered from 1 to 45, including the serigraphs in their final state in black. The text composed by hand in Eusebius 30p be the typography D.B. Inc. was printed by printer Rie Pierre des Morais Inc. - were drawn by Michel Lancelot and his collaborators, from the presses of the Graft Workshops. The implementation of the volume is by H. de Jouvancourt. All the drawing are signed and each copy of the book are signed by the artists.
Authors included:
AUTHORS P. DE RONSARD
SIR E. DYER
E . SPENSER
V. DE LA FRESNAYE
T. LODGE
F. DE MALHERBE W. SHAKESPEARE
BEN JONSON
F . MAYNARD T. CAREW
C . DE MALLEVILLE - R
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Unmasked: Portraits from the Collection
Selections Exhibition Summer 2020 - Virtual Tour
ART MUSIC & THE WHISKY BAR
At a community event in late February, the studio at the Public Art Centre was converted from a classroom to a lounge. It featured local art, music and yes, a whisky bar! Looking back, the evening takes on special significance, but even at the time there was a unique energy in the space, the kind of energy that occurs when creativity and community come together.
Thank you to:
artist: 
Laura Woermke Artist
musicians: THA KOALA, The Winter Blues, The Shangles
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Clark McDougall by Clark McDougall
Clark McDougall (1921-1980) was a St. Thomas, Ontario artist whose work reached critical acclaim before his untimely death in 1980. Survey exhibitions of this artist from St. Thomas were presented at the McIntosh Gallery, the University of Western Ontario in 2011 and at The Elgin County Museum, St. Thomas. Clark McDougall’s paintings are highly regional in content with a strong emphasis in recording rural landscapes and the world around him. Clark McDougall’s works are in numerous public collections in Canada.
Come along with Clark as he talks about his work. The images and audio are taken from slides and a recording Clark McDougall produces as an educational tour for the students of St. Thomas and Elgin County.
You can view more videoshere...
Come along with Clark as he talks about his work. The images and audio are taken from slides and a recording Clark McDougall produces as an educational tour for the students of St. Thomas and Elgin County.
You can view more videos
here...
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Walter Redinger
A two part short film on the artwork of Walter Redinger. For more information about Walter, please visit : www.WalterRedinger.com
or here...
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Artist Tour by Ron Milton
Thank you to Establish Media for producing this great artist tour.
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Tell Me Something… Selections from the Permanent Collection
Artists choose landscapes as their subjects for many reasons. Their desire to represent its understandable splendor, some artists choose to study and explore various appealing elements, like light, color, and texture and other use the landscape to tell a story, a narrative, to illustrate an idea or conceptualize a metaphor. The permanent collection holds many wonderful examples of historic and realistic depictions of landscape paintings, but lets take a closer look at those who push past the traditional depictions and use text as an element.
The following artworks were selected because the artist not only depicts the idea of the landscape but their use of text. Although text is all around us, on magazine covers, cereal boxes, street signs and billboards, we rarely think of it as an element of art. Yet each letter can have shape and colour and, if the words were void of meaning, would be ideal for creating abstract work. The addition of meaning adds another level of depth to using text as an element that can not be created by shape and color alone.
Bob Bozak, Filsinger Sign
Walter Redinger, Garden Party, 2007
Eric Atkinson
Aidan Urquhart, New Canadian Cabin Series
Jeff Willmore
Ron Benner, Green Point
Greg Curnoe, America
Scott McLeod, History Lesson
Clark McDougall, Untitled Sketch
Aidan Urquhart, Wanderlust
Bob Bozak, Filsinger Sign
Walter Redinger, Garden Party, 2007
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Stanley Lewis "CITY"
Stanley Lewis, sculptor, print maker, teacher and photographer passed away in Montreal on August 14th, 2006, at the Jewish General Hospital, at the age of 76. He created sculptures until a few months before his death.Mr. Lewis was regarded by many as a national treasure in the contemporary art world. During his 56 year international career he created "poetry in stone," and his prolific body of work is an enormous contribution to art and Canadian culture. As a teacher and mentor, his generosity, energetic personality and wealth of knowledge inspired several generations of artists.
Since humans first illuminated bands of rain and lightning on the inner walls of their cave homes, artists have been absorbed with illustrating our physical environment. Yet, for centuries, the environment's form in art was meant to be read either as wonder for our natural world, or as a background subject for the documentation of human stories. In the 20th century, together with rising global concerns surrounding the state of the earth's health, and our impact as humans upon it, many artists use this concern to create images that will drawn attention to the ecological issues and will as our relationship and contribution to them. Stanley Lewis was one such artists, with his simple depictions of humans and environment produced with limited colours and forms. This straightforward technique allows for the simple message to be delivered to the viewer. Below you will find some examples of his work from the permanent collection.
Stanley Lewis, Dawn
Stanley Lewis, City Fumes
Stanley Lewis, Dusk
Stanley Lewis, Cityscape
Stanley Lewis, The Steel Mill
Stanley Lewis, Workers
Stanley Lewis, City Air
Stanley Lewis, City Life
Stanley Lewis, Dawn
Stanley Lewis, City Fumes
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Isolation as Inspiration
While we are experiencing a time of social distancing or self-isolation, it is typically the destiny of the artist to work alone. The themes of loneliness, isolation and estrangement frequently arise in their artwork providing us with an opportunity to contemplate and interpret and with complete understanding. The Following selections are some examples from the permanent collection that we think perfectly express solitude, and isolation.
Ed Zelenak
Ra's Voyage Narrative, 1989
Gouache and watercolour on paper
Herb Ariss
Bog, 1992
Oil on paper
Willian Edwin Atkinson
Dusk along the River, 1901
oil on board
Marcel Bellerive
Sac et ficelle, 1989
serigraph
Grenville Allan Braiden
Sunflowers, nd
gelatin silver print
Grace Benedict
L'eitmotif, 1980
graphite on paper
George Chavignaud
Shack in the Woods, nd
watercolour on paper
Jean Hay
Land Locked for 45000 Years, 1998
encaustic on canvas
Brian Jones
Cottage in Port Stanely, nd
watercolour on paper
Patrick Landsley
Flight over Port Stanley, 2009
mixed media on board
Stanley Lewis
Contemplation, 1965
wood block print
Clark McDougall
Across from Road 52, nd
graphite on paper
Kazuo Nakamura
untitled, nd
etching
Tony Onley
Cloud Drift, nd
serigraph
Gerald Pedros
A Little Time After, 1994
mixed media
Brian Saby
Introspection, 2004
mixed media
William St. Thomas Smith
Along the River, nd
watercolour on paper
Steve Stevenson
Lamplight, 1998
oil on board
Lorne J. Toews
Chairs, 1981
acrylic on canvas
John Ward
The Bridge, nd
serigraph
Laura Woermke
Best Red Outfit, 2004
oil on canvas
Ed Zelenak
Ra's Voyage Narrative, 1989
Gouache and watercolour on paper
Herb Ariss
Bog, 1992
Oil on paper
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Say Cheese Portfolio
When Alan and Hilary Alderson opened Say Cheese in 1969 it was one of a kind; it was the first and only specialty cheese boutique and restaurant in London, a status it would enjoy until its closure in 1994. Originally located on Talbot St. across from the Covent Market (where the John Labatt Centre now stands), Say Cheese was one of the few businesses on the block at that time. Instead of thriving businesses, the Talbot Block had been populated by a large number of London artists who had established studios and galleries in the cheaply rented spaces. Say Cheese was situated in close proximity to The Alpha Centre, The Trajectory Gallery and the studios of many young artists, and as such, it was in the heart of London’s artistic community. It follows that Say Cheese was more than just a cheese shop and a place to eat; it was also a central meeting place for local artists. From the start the Aldersons were supporters of local artists, exhibiting their work and even, at times, allowing the exchange of art for food; not for charitable reasons, but as a mutually beneficial business practice. (art.wav) These works were produced by the local artists.
Ben Linssen
Eric Atkinson
Ruldof Bikkers
Don Bonham
Duncan de Kergommeaux
Michael Durham
Ben Linssen
Eric Atkinson
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Merle "Ting" Tingley cartoons
Merle "Ting" Tingley
(1922-2017) was a Canadian Cartoonist who was the main editorial coartoonist for the London Free Press (ontario), from 1948 to 1986 as well as being syndicated for 60 other publications as well.
In World War II, Tingley was the official cartoonist for the Canadian Army magazine, Khaki, and a contributor for the overseas army newspaper, The Maple Leaf. After his discharge, Tingley toured the country on his motorcycle hoping to find work as a cartoonist only to have the various newspapers in applied at turn him down. When Tingley reached London, Ontario, he was out of funds and had to gain a menial job at the London Free Press with a friend's help. However, Tingley's fortunes improved when an editor on that paper noticed a cartoon Tingley drew of the mayor during the municipal election. The editor was impressed enough with that work to arrange to have Tingley become the resident editorial cartoonist.
Tingley's mascot was a worm character called Luke Worm who usually was present in each of his cartoons.
Tingley's honours include the National Newspaper Award for editorial cartooning in 1955, National Headliner Award for Editorial Cartoon year for 1965 and induction into the Canadian Cartoonist Hall of Fame in 2015. In addition, collections of his work are stored at the University of Western Ontario, the St. Thomas-Elgin Public Art Centre and at Library and Archives Canada in Ottawa.
After his retirement in 1986, his artistic contributions have been commemorated since 2014 in the Ting Comic And Graphic Arts Festival in London, Ontario. It is an annual three week arts festival at The TAP Centre for Creativity devoted to cartooning and sequential art which includes gallery displays of various local Canadian artists including selections of Tingley's art, as well as various activities devoted to the medium and is scheduled to conclude with the annual Free Comic Book Day event.
The following images are a few examples of the 117 original art works in the St. Thomas-Elgin Public Art Centre's permanent collection.
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